Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 5: The Department of Strategic and Regional Studies (DSRS), University of Jammu organised a National Seminar on ‘Understanding the Geo-Strategic Significance of India’s North-West Frontiers’ at the Environmental Science Auditorium today.
The seminar brought together eminent scholars, strategic experts, defence analysts, and policymakers to deliberate on the evolving security dynamics and strategic imperatives of India’s north-western frontiers. Prof. Virender Koundal, Director DSRS introduced the theme of the discussion and underscored the importance of the North-West Frontier.
Capt. (Retd.) Alok Bansal, eminent Geostrategic and defence expert was the keynote speaker for the Inaugural session. In his address, Capt. Bansal provided deep insights into the historical, geopolitical, and contemporary security challenges posed by the region, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and proactive strategic approach. He highlighted the role of Britishers, who, having engaged in a half-century-long Great Game with the Russians, in creating the instability in the region. He emphasized the relevance of such scholarly engagements in formulating policy recommendations for India’s defence and foreign policy is a much needed step for reclaiming the occupied territories of Bharat.
The chief guest for the Inaugural Session was Prof. Rajeev Rattan Sharma, Director, College Development Council. He underscored the importance of academic discourse in shaping national security policies and appreciated the Department of Strategic and Regional Studies for organizing such an intellectually enriching event.
The seminar featured multiple technical sessions covering themes such as: Historical and Geopolitical Context of India’s North-West Frontiers, Security Challenges and Strategic Responses and Cross-Border Dynamics and Regional Cooperation
Distinguished panellists, including veterans of Indian Army, members of civil society and academicians, engaged in thought-provoking discussions on history, culture, geography and geo-political positioning of north-west frontier region. Prof. Kavita Suri, Dr. (Brig.) (Retd.) Vijay Sagar Dheman, Dr. Madhulika Singh, Dr. Mohd. Monir Alam, Dr. Sumer Khajuria, Dr. Divya Gupta, Dr. Suman Kumar Verma, Dr. Vinit Kumar Jha Utpal, Dr. Chahukeshi Jamwal, Dr. Ajayshree Singh Sambyal, Yashorajya Gauri, Hitaishi Bharti, Shuvam Sharma and others presented papers on various themes of North-West Frontier. Prof. Dipankar Sengupta chaired the Technical Session on geo-strategy and security whereas Prof. Suman Jamwal chaired technical session on history and culture.
The technical sessions were followed by a Valedictory Session. It was started with the report presentation of the seminar by Dr. Ganesh Malhotra. The Keynote speaker for the Valedictory Session was Dr. Aayushi Ketkar, Assistant Professor, Centre for National Security Studies, JNU. In her talk, she underlines how colonial legacies, partition dynamics, and post-independence conflicts-such as the Indo-Pakistani wars and the Sino-Indian war-have shaped the present geopolitical landscape. Dr. Ketkar also highlighted the strategic implications of China’s growing influence in Gilgit-Baltistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its impact on regional security.
The Chief Guest for the Valedictory Session was Prof. Meena Sharma, Dean Planning. She encouraged researchers to pursue studies on the themes like North-West Frontiers and try to make a holistic approach.
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